by Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY Sports

by Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY Sports

The trade for All-Star outfielder Justin Upton has been an absolute steal for the Atlanta Braves.

It has been a dud for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

If both teams could do it over, neither would change a thing.

So they say.

Everyone will stick to their story today when the Braves are in Phoenix for the first time since the trade: Upton and third baseman Chris Johnson to Atlanta for infielder Martin Prado and four prospects.

The Braves certainly would not be sitting in first place in the National League East without Upton. He looks a whole lot like the kid who finished fourth in the 2011 National League MVP race, leading the league with 12 home runs and his team with 21 RBI. Johnson, meanwhile, is hitting .307.

"He's been everything we hoped for and more," manager Fredi Gonzalez said of Upton. "His work ethic is off the charts. I've enjoyed getting to know him. He's an intense competitor."

The Diamondbacks say they wouldn't be hovering near the top of the NL West without trading Upton, though Prado is hitting .223 - nearly 70 points below his career average - believing the team needed a face lift.

"I thought we needed to change the dynamics," general manager Kevin Towers said. "It was that simple."

The truth is the Diamondbacks might be comfortably in first place if they had hung on to Upton, giving them perhaps the best 3-4 punch in the NL with first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.

"All I know is that I hated to see him every time he stepped to the plate," Colorado Rockies first baseman Todd Helton said. "He's got a chance to be special. He's the type of guy you build teams around. You see the impact he's made over there."

Said Rockies outfielder Michael Cuddyer, who grew up with the Uptons in Chesapeake, Va.: "I love Justin. And I love that family. But I'm happy I don't have to see him so often anymore. We're all glad that he's out of the NL West."

The Diamondbacks, who drafted Upton with the first pick in the 2005 draft, saw the worldly talent but suddenly questioned whether Upton would be a franchise star. With the talent came streaky play and displays of frustration during losing streaks and slumps.

He was the NL player of the month in April and batted .302 with 12 homers and 18 RBI in the Braves' first 23 games.

He since is hitting .205 with no homers, three extra-base hits and three RBI in the last 13 games.

Yep, just like what happened in Arizona.

Still, what gets mentioned far too seldom is that Upton is 25 years old.

"You can tell what happened last year bothered him," said Johnson, the undercard in the deal. "You can't keep hearing your name in trade rumors and have it not bother you. Now, he's in a place where he's wanted and is being treated right.

"You can't say they treated him right, not when they spent the last two or three years trying to find a place to ship him."

It wasn't so much the trade rumors that bothered Upton but the perception that the struggles last season were his fault. He was the one who got called into manager Kirk Gibson's office when not everyone ran out ground balls. He was the one criticized when the players sulked.

"Sometimes I thought I got blamed for things everyone else was doing" Upton said, "but it's not like I had a problem with (Gibson) or anyone else. I was happy there. I could have stayed there. I mean, I'm still going to live there in the offseason."

Yet when the Diamondbacks kept trying to trade him over the winter, with deals to the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners coming close to fruition, Upton finally had enough. He didn't demand a trade, but if Arizona intended to move him, he said, it might be best to do it now.

Upton denies he was unhappy, but he's ecstatic to be in Atlanta, playing with his older brother, B.J., and a team rich in history.

"It's just nice to be with an organization that wants me," Upton said, "and have that feeling again where I can just go out and play my game."

Said B.J. Upton: "I think he's just happy playing baseball. I think he's happy that he's able to do it here, and obviously with me being here. He's happy to be with a winning ballclub."

No one is sure what to expect when Upton steps to the plate as a visitor. There's no reason for boos; Arizona, after all, earned two playoff berths with Upton. But a scoreboard tribute isn't necessary, either.

"I really don't know," Upton said. "I guess we'll find out."

Given time, we'll know the organization's true feelings of the trade.

For now, both teams tell us they are delighted. We'll see if those feelings change by October.